Wan Shao wasn’t very clear about Shang Can and Yun Duan’s past.
She had only managed to bring the near-lifeless Shang Can back to Biluo Huangquan, and knew nothing of how Shang Can had fallen into such a state.
Even after she had worked hard to help Shang Can recover from her injuries, she still didn’t get any answers. Shang Can would never bring it up, and Wan Shao, being perceptive, didn’t pry.
However, one could always glean some hints from Shang Can’s subsequent behavior.
Even after joining Biluo Huangquan, Shang Can hadn’t completely denied her past. On the contrary, she wouldn’t deliberately avoid topics related to her life before joining Biluo Huangquan, or even to Qing Yu; sometimes, she would even joke about it.
But she had started to consciously avoid news related to Yun Duan and no longer mentioned it to Wan Shao.
Wan Shao had known her when Shang Can was still the top disciple at the Jade Balance Peak of Qing Yu, so she was more acutely aware of Shang Can’s most noticeable changes.
In the past, Shang Can would talk endlessly about her junior sister, praising her as if she were the best in the world. Now, she simply avoided the subject, as if guarding a wound that hurt to the touch.
Over time, Wan Shao had realized that something must have happened between Shang Can and Yun Duan on the day Shang Can was severely injured.
Before they headed to Tian Wai Tian, the last time they had talked about Yun Duan was shortly after Shang Can had joined Biluo Huangquan. At that time, Biluo Huangquan’s scouts had learned some news about Qing Yu, and after much deliberation, Wan Shao felt the information was pertinent to Shang Can, so she reluctantly went to her residence and hesitantly spoke up.
“I heard that Qing Yu has already acknowledged your death, and the master of Jade Balance Peak has sealed… your junior sister’s memories of you, forbidding anyone from mentioning you in front of her.”
At that time, Shang Can was in the courtyard, focused on nurturing a watermelon seedling she had somehow acquired, merely nodding in a perfunctory manner without looking up.
“That’s good.”
Wan Shao had a hundred questions but felt too hesitant to ask; she didn’t want to rub salt in her friend’s wounds, so she forced a topic change: “How are those watermelons growing? It’s the first time I’ve seen anyone plant watermelons in Biluo Huangquan. There’s no sunlight here; you can’t possibly be roasting them with fire, right?”
“Not well.” Shang Can sighed, stood up, brushed her hands clean, turned around, and spoke calmly, “There’s nothing to be done; it’s all up to fate.”
The watermelons ultimately didn’t grow, but Shang Can didn’t seem upset. She just planted batch after batch, replacing them when they died. Now, nine years had passed.
Surely one should have grown by now, Wan Shao thought.
When she received a sudden report during a meeting about a cultivator arriving outside, her heart jumped to her throat. However, upon arriving and seeing it was Yun Duan, she immediately felt relieved and cheerfully waved for the night crow to hurry and call Shang Can over.
Although she didn’t know what had transpired between Shang Can and Yun Duan, she felt… these two shouldn’t be like this.
After all, she had seen enough during her time in Tian Wai Tian, and the difference in how they treated each other was evident.
Especially with Shang Can, if she was actually thinking about it all the time, why had she been hiding so diligently over the years? It seemed like a waste of time.
Wan Shao, who had always acted for her own happiness, couldn’t understand. She glanced at her friend, who was suddenly looking troubled after pulling out Yun Duan’s clothing for some reason, and rolled her eyes.
The Demon Lord of Biluo Huangquan held her breath, concentrating as she quietly summoned several thick vines behind Shang Can, lifting her off the ground without her noticing, and then threw her out of the city gate.
Ah, that felt good.
Wan Shao smiled broadly, her teeth visible as she leisurely observed the situation outside amidst the exclamations of her subordinates.
Caught off guard by Yun Duan hiding the jade token in her clothing, Shang Can had no time to react and hurriedly put on her white jade mask as she was lifted by the vines, only to find herself outside.
Like a large cat, she managed to flip in the air and maintain her balance upon landing, trying to appear less awkward. However, when she met Yun Duan’s cool gaze, she felt that her previous actions hadn’t escaped those eyes.
She decided to act as if nothing had happened, took out the jade token that had been left in Yun Duan’s robes, waved it in front of her, and then tossed it over with a flick of her hand.
“Your strategy is quite good, Yun Zhong Jun.”
Yun Duan caught the jade token and hung it back at her waist, offering no explanation and simply responding, “It’s just that you were too unguarded, Can.”
Naturally, it was this lack of guard that allowed Yun Duan to seize the opportunity. It had always been this way; whenever she needed to find Shang Can since childhood, it was thanks to this jade token, and it had never failed her.
Shang Can shook her head and smiled. She had been busy with so many matters these past few days that she hadn’t had time to deal with Yun Duan’s clothing. Who knew Yun Duan would leave such a little trick in there?
Now that it had come to this, there was no use dwelling on it. Since she couldn’t just toss the clothing over, Shang Can quietly walked over and handed the clothes to Yun Duan, deliberately asking, “Do you have a place to put this?”
The teasing intent in her words was quite clear, but Yun Duan looked at her as if she didn’t understand, sincerely shaking her head.
“No.”
“I didn’t bring your clothing either, so I can’t return it to you.”
“…”
Shang Can paused, confused, and asked, “Then that’s not a problem… are you planning to keep your clothes here?”
“Not really; it’s just that I truly have no place to put it.” Yun Duan maintained her expression, adding seriously, “There is absolutely nothing else in the clothes now. If you’re worried, Can, you can check for yourself.”
“…”
Nonsense, they had already found their way here and met face to face. Did it matter if there was something in the clothing or not?
The topic had veered off into the stratosphere. Shang Can didn’t want to let the group at the city gate watch the commotion, so she withdrew the clothing back into the silk pouch and took the lead in asking.
“What is Yun Zhong Jun here for? Surely it’s not just to see me?”
Yun Duan fell silent for a moment before countering with a question, “Why did you come out, Can?”
“Aren’t you afraid that I came here for Biluo Huangquan, just waiting for someone to show up so I can attack?”
…Actually, she had been thrown out here by Wan Shao, who was acting oddly. Shang Can obviously couldn’t say that.
She looked at Yun Duan and smiled lightly.
“Then is Yun Zhong Jun here for that purpose?”
“…”
Yun Duan met her gaze for a while, ultimately shaking her head quietly, her cool voice dropping slightly.
“Tian Wai Tian has already united many sects and intends to come to Biluo Huangquan… to seek an explanation.”
Thankfully, Shang Can thought, she had the white jade mask to cover her expression.
She froze for a moment before gradually relaxing, remaining silent for a long time. When she spoke again, her voice carried a hint of suppressed agitation.
“…In that case, you absolutely shouldn’t have arrived here before them.”
Yun Duan’s gaze shifted slightly as she spoke softly, “I thought you would question me about why the location of Biluo Huangquan was leaked.”
Shang Can couldn’t hide her complicated emotions and shook her head heavily.
Not to mention she already knew Yun Duan wouldn’t do such a thing. Even if, for the sake of argument, it was Yun Duan who informed Tian Wai Tian of Biluo Huangquan’s location, why would she take such a risk to come here and deliver a message to her today?
The so-called “seeking an explanation” was likely just a euphemism for Yun Duan’s more nuanced expression of Tian Wai Tian’s intentions. Since Tian Wai Tian had united with other sects, their motives must be even more forceful, or perhaps more menacing.
The action of the sects was surprisingly swift, as even the spies Biluo Huangquan had planted in the cultivation world hadn’t sent any news yet. Yun Duan must have heard about the related matters as one of the united parties and immediately came here to inform her.
Shang Can thought that Yun Duan wouldn’t believe Biluo Huangquan had nothing to do with that day’s incident.
She knew that Yun Duan had lost her family because of monsters, which made her inherently averse to them. However, due to her innate kindness, she never harbored excessive prejudice against all demons. She was always fair and treated everyone equally.
This was truly an admirable quality, and Shang Can often felt proud of her.
But Shang Can never expected that Yun Duan would choose to take such actions at this moment… actions that were almost akin to betraying the sect.
“I thought Yun Zhong Jun was a wise person.”
Anxiety surged within Shang Can, causing her words to turn sharp: “If someone else saw this, it would bring no benefit to you—or to me. Why on earth—”
“Why?”
Yun Duan, who had always been courteous, unexpectedly interrupted Shang Can mid-sentence. Her dark eyes shimmered, as if hidden tides were surging within.
“Indeed, it’s time to ask why.”
“Why do I trust Can, coming to tell you useful information, yet you’re unhappy instead?”
Her originally clear eyes now seemed veiled in mist, and for some reason, it made Shang Can hesitant to look directly at her.
Turning her head away, Shang Can gazed into the distant, shadowy mountains, and heard Yun Duan’s low voice resume.
“If we must speak of ‘no benefits,’ then at most, it would just be ‘Yun Zhong Jun’s’ reputation getting a few pointed remarks. Since I’m here, I don’t care, but Can—”
“—it seems that Can cares even more about me than I do myself.”
“What I should truly be asking is this… why.”
A ripple stirred in Yun Duan’s calm voice. The mountain winds howled in the deep valleys, her wide robe billowing in the breeze as if it might sweep her fragile form away, but she took a couple of steps closer to Shang Can, then restrained herself and halted.
Shang Can’s white jade mask obscured any visible emotion, making it difficult for Yun Duan to read her expression, which left a slight look of helplessness on her graceful face.
“…Why does Can treat me this way? Even now, you still refuse to say?”
This way?
Shang Can couldn’t help but linger on those two words, pondering what Yun Duan meant by “this way.”
Was she referring to their late-night outing to roast chicken, or when she had broken the wall during the arena match in Tian Wai Tian, or even how, upon hearing news, her first concern wasn’t Biluo Huangquan, but rather worrying about Yun Duan?
Upon reflection, it had only been a little over ten days since she had met Yun Duan in Tian Wai Tian, yet looking back, it felt astonishingly long.
Yun Duan asked her why.
As the representative of Biluo Huangquan, it seemed she should indeed be asked why for her actions.
Shang Can was always best at deflecting topics. Even when she had been recognized by Chu Ming that day, she had managed to hold her ground, even taking action to make him realize that the person standing before him was no longer the one he was looking for.
Yet now, faced with Yun Duan, who was not being aggressive but merely lowered her gaze, Shang Can found herself at a loss for words.
Even with the white jade mask in between, she didn’t dare to meet Yun Duan’s eyes for even a second longer.
Why?
What reason was there?
Covering her eyes with the mask, Shang Can whispered softly.
“Let’s just say it’s my… fondness for Yun Zhong Jun upon first meeting.”
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